Digital Scrapbooking Inspiration
In The Groove
Another great year has come and gone. It’s time to celebrate the past year, and look forward to the future! What better way to celebrate than to get out your favorite photos from 2007, and start scrappin’!
This month, we’ve packed The Groove with layouts that show off the fine art of “Celebrating”. You’ll get your chance, too – look for our brand new layout contest called “Celebrate Good Times!” – details below.
We’re starting off the “Groove-y” New Year with our usual round of tips and tricks for great digital scrapbooking. Plus, you’re going to love this month’s freebie from Steve Russell, and an incredible coupon for 20% purchases in the Scrapbook MAX! Booster Pack Store (read below for the full scoop!). Get into 2008, and get into The Groove!
Life’s Celebrations
We all work hard every day. That’s why it’s important to take time to remember what it’s all for – the joy of celebrations, big and small. Maybe that’s why special times for celebrating were invented in the first place!
Check out two very special layouts below that capture the magical moments that we live for. Our thanks to the very talented fourfoxes (Nolan’s First Christmas) and kimbob (And So It Begins) for their wonderful contributions!
Digital Scrapbooking Tips
Don’t forget about Drag and Drop!
Groovy Tip #1: You can use embellishments that you’ve downloaded from other sites in Scrapbook MAX!. Just open up the folder where you keep your stash, select the image you want to use, and drag it into the Scrapbook MAX! design space. The Drag and Drop Assistant will ask you how you want to add your image; as a Photo, Embellishment, Paper Scrap, or Background. It’s that easy!
Groovy Tip #2: When you drag and drop embellishments into your Scrapbook MAX! design space, make sure you add them in as Embellishments (and not Photos). Otherwise, if you make a template and choose Remove Photos, your embellishments will be removed!
Scrapper Profile
Fiona Storey
Meet Fiona Storey, a.k.a. “angelwithin”! This lovely lady is a true “angel” in our forums, helping others with technical questions and sharing her creative ideas. She is also a designer in our Scrapbook MAX! Booster Pack Store. Read on to learn more about her.
Q. If you were an animal, what would you be? Why?
A. I’d have to be a wild Cat as the wildcat would never take a conventional route, preferring to explore life from off the beaten track, relying heavily on thier instincts and powers of observation to guide them safely through the jungle. Their air of indifference and need for privacy keeps them on the outskirts of society, but their love for comfort always brings them back – that is so me lol!
Q. How long have you been digital scrapbooking and what got you started?
A. I got into digital scrapbooking by accident around November 2006. I have been making cards for numerous years. I’d been making my own embellishments in paint shop pro but often found when I printed them they were slightly the wrong size for the card I was designing. So I went hunting online for a program that I could use to help me layout out and size all the digital embellishments for my cards. I found Scrapbook MAX! and within a few hours I was totally hooked!
Q. What are your non-scrapbooking hobbies?
You mean there are hobbies outside of scrapbooking!!! I’m joking, I am still into card making, I write poetry, create digital art, I love making printable paper crafts, weave dream catchers, make relaxation dvd’s, play bingo and build web sites……..but my Hubby says my biggest hobby besides scrapbooking is spending money on ebay! lol
Q. Tell us about your family.
I’ve been married to Stephen for nearly 5 years now and it’s 2nd time lucky! I have two great kids, Joe & Jenny, both well adjusted normal people ….still trying to figure out how that happened with me as their mother!
I come from a big crafting arty family and have 4 sisters and 3 brothers scattered all over southern UK. Mum & dad live a few miles away from us. We were brought up to be creative; both my parents and my grandparents were artists & writers.
Q. There is a blank screen in front of you. How do you begin your layout?
A. It really depends on my mood! I sometimes start out with paper and pencil, scribble down a rough draft of how I want a set of layouts to look. Often, I will start with just one item – it may just be a photograph, a paper scrap, a frame or an embellishment – and that then becomes the focal point for the layout.
Q. Tell us about one layout that you are particularly proud of and why.
It’s not a single page layout, it’s a whole album about my son Matthew’s short life. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. At times I really didn’t think I would finish it as I re-lived so many happy and heart wrenching memories doing it – but it was the most healing, cleansing and liberating experience and worth every tear.
Q. What is the best part about using Scrapbook MAX!?
A. It is so user friendly, easy and versatile. You can get fantastic results with very little effort, the fabulous friendships & backup from our forum members, and I can’t forget our great techie & lovely admin staff…..we break it, they will tell us how to fix it *grins*……. Not many programs have such a friendly interactive support system which makes MAX! a pleasure to use.
Q. Describe your favorite time of year.
A. Oh, this is a hard one! I love all the seasons for different reasons lol – that rhymed! I love spring for the vibrant colours and the wonderful feeling of hope it inspires, summer for the long warm cloudless skies and the way it makes everyone happier & friendlier, autumn for the vivid colour changes, misty mornings and the excuse to start putting on weight *winks*, and winter for those long cozy nights with family, friends and steaming mugs of hot chocolate with marshmellows.
Check out some of Fiona’s favorite layouts below:
New Year’s Blow-Out Sale!
20% Off Booster Pack Store Purchases !
You read right! To kick off the New Year with a great big bang, we’re giving you 20% off Booster Pack Store purchases!
This is a great time to stock up on kits to scrap your Christmas and holiday pics, and to stack your stash for all the photos you’re going to be snappin’ in ’08!
Here’s how it works: On purchases of $10 or more in the Scrapbook MAX! Booster Pack Store, simply type in the coupon code NEWYEARS2008. You will receive a whopping 20% off of your purchase! Offer expires January 31, 2008.
Offer valid only on purchases made in the Scrapbook MAX! Booster Pack Store with a minimum $10 value. Applies to new purchases only; cannot be applied to previous purchases. Coupon code must be used at the time of purchase. Offer expires January 31, 2008.
The Groove’s Monthly Freebie
Here is a mini-kit that’s sure to liven up your fall photos. Enjoy these dazzling freebies by Scrapbook MAX! Booster Pack Store designer Steve Russell!
Love Steve’s Kit? Find links to his autumn themed content kits here!
Creative Genius
Christmas Tags by Tina S.
We love it when folks come up with creative ways to use Scrapbook MAX! -here’s further proof that it`s not just for scrapbooking! Tina S. has not only shared her idea of making Christmas Tags, but she’s giving you a template to make your own! Why not get started on next year’s Christmas wrapping today…hey, it could happen – LOL!
“Hey girls. Made these up so I could have some fun tags this year! Just print them out on white card stock and cut them out! The tags are a shape I made so you can change the papers to anything you like!…” – Tina S., a.k.a. Manatee25
Read Tina’s post in the Scrapbook MAX! Sharing Corner to get Tina’s cool tag template:
Contest: Celebrate Good Times!
There are so many things to celebrate in life, we bet you can`t choose one theme for your contest entry! Whether you want to scrap pics of birthdays, holidays, weddings, anniversaries, first steps, or just a really special day with a really special person, we want to see your
“Celebrate Good Times” layout!
Three winning layouts will be published in the next issue of The Groove: 1st prize is a $20 gift certificate to the Scrapbook MAX! Booster Pack Store! 2 runners up will each receive an official Scrapbook MAX! mousepad.
To enter, publish your layout as a JPEG image using the ‘High Quality’ and ‘Web/Email’ options, and upload it to the Celebrate Good Times contest page in the Scrapbook MAX! gallery. All entries will be available for viewing. Contest closes Monday, January 28, 2008, 5:00pm (CST). ** Note: You must be a registered member of the Scrapbook MAX! forums to enter this contest. Register for free here!
First Place Winner
in “Vintage Memories” Contest
This Christmas-themed vintage layout was a winner. We love the shining smile of this adorable little lady, and the embellishments truly reflect the special times of yesteryear. Way to go, Gotart!
Our Runners-Up!
These two vintage layouts look they are right out of great-grandmother’s cherished album. Perfect colors and old-fashioned embellishments showcase spectacular photos. Congratulations to Sue C. and Agnes H. for these inspiring contributions!
By the way, did we mention just how hard it was to choose three winners this month? You blew us away with your creative, vintage layouts. Congrats to everyone who participated -we’re looking forward to your entries in next month’s contest!
Inspirations
We can find celebrations in major milestones, such as a wedding, or in a cherished moment, such as a favorite picture of ourselves and a loved one. Be inspired by such celebratory layouts below by mswizard and OnieRN – they each capture the joy that can we find in the special day, and in the “everyday”.
The Groove Wants YOU!
Have a Lois Lane complex? Put it to use by contributing to The Groove! We’re always looking for fresh ideas to make The Groove fun and exciting – just like our readers! Tips, musings, inspirations, ingenious scrapbook ideas – if you’ve got ‘em, we’d love to read ‘em! Email The Groove your bright ideas today! Contact us at [email protected]
Next Month in The Groove
The Groove celebrates “The Four Seasons”. Plus, look for January’s “Celebrate Good Times” contest winners!